Stepping Stones
by Amethystfairy1
Summary: Jericho has been on this lonely peak for six years. He's long since given up on his mother returning. Even longer since given up on ever rejoining the world he only now saw in childhood memories and boredom induced daydreams. Yet when an awry portal sends a blue cloaked, masked boy tumbling out into the grass at Jericho's doorstep, maybe he'll see the worlds not so bad after all.


_**I wrote another one shot for my baby Jericho, because he's such an awesome character with such an awesome story and he deserves more love! Also keep in mind I took some creative license with his backstory to make it flow easier, and so it would be easier to write out in this format with going to much into detail, because Herald would question him a lot more if I didn't!**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

At thirteen, Jericho could be expected to be a lot of different places. School was one, than maybe at his home with his family, maybe he should be studying, or playing video games with his friends, perhaps working an after school job, delivering newspapers, walking a dog, or mowing someones yard.

Dressed in warriors garb with gold and purple on top of a mountain in Tibet all by himself playing a guitar was definitely _not_ on that list.

Yet that's exactly where the blonde was, strumming peacefully at the guitar, considering this question himself.

Yes, he'd just turned thirteen this past month, he'd kept careful track of the days since he'd arrived, not wanting to lose himself in time.

 _How long have you been up here?_

Jericho asked himself as he absentmindedly stopped playing and lowered the guitar to his side. Leaning with one leg tucked up on the top of a rock in the middle of the field he called home, he stared up at the pure blue sky.

 _I've been here for six years._

He answered himself.

 _How long has it been since you saw another person?_

Jericho rested his guitar against the rock and decided to go for a walk, making his way down from the top field towards a smaller outcrop on which was a small fresh water pond, fed by a spring. This was as low from the peak as he allowed himself to venture.

 _Six years._

When he arrived at the pond, he stood on the swaying vibrant green grasses, the color matching as his eyes.

 _Who was the last person you saw?_

The blonde turned to one of the large, thick limbed trees few people expected to grow on these peaks, but they did so all the same.

He hiked up one foot and launched himself upward, seizing one of the lower limbs and beginning to climb.

 _My Mother._

He arrived at the limb that had a nice crook in it, where he rested, allowing one leg to dangle, folding his arms across his chest to keep balance.

 _Why did she never come back like she promised?_

Jericho knew he would arrive at this question, whenever he allowed his mind to wander down this self questioning path, he always arrived at this question.

 _I don't know._

He sighed, the breath coming and going silently, for he'd never again make any sound with his throat.

 _I couldn't control them, my eyes were black and I would phase in and out of people randomly. I couldn't make my eyes white when I wasn't using my power. She took me out of school because the other kids called me a demon. People would throw bricks or rocks through the windows of our house, with things written on them like 'send the demon back to hell'. I was seven years old...I was just scared, especially after l_ _osing my voice along with my family, along with a normal life. We could deal with the hateful words and hurtful glances. But when **he** came back and started trying to take me away, that was something that Mom didn't want to risk. My Mom flew me up here when I was seven years old, she sat me on that rock in the middle of that field and gave me her guitar._

 _Than she hugged me and made me promise not to leave, to say here, because I'd be safe here. I promised. She made me swear, give her my word I wouldn't leave, she had tears in her eyes, she looked so upset. I swore, I gave her my word, that would never leave until she came back for me. I guess she was right, I am safe here. I haven't seen another human, not ever._

Jericho let out another breath, still wondering about all of these different things. He was thirteen, was he really going to say up here his whole life? What if his mother was, as much as he hated to think it, dead, or gone, or captured, or not coming back?

 _What would she think of me, I've been trying to make good of the time by teaching myself to fight and play the guitar. What would she think of me, now that my powers are under control and my eyes aren't discolored anymore? They're green, they look normal as long as I'm not using my abilities. Maybe she never meant to come back, maybe she told me to stay up here so she wouldn't have to bother with hiding me from all of those people who wanted me locked away or killed. Maybe I should just go down and give life my best shot, or maybe I should stay here, I've gotten along pretty well so far, though it is really pretty lonely. Sometimes I wish I had a friend, just one friend, one that could come and visit so I wouldn't have to break my promise, and then I wouldn't be so alone._

Perhaps someone up there was listening to Jericho's pleas?

The possessor leapt from the branch, doing a front flip to land on his feet, he turned and walked back up towards the field his mother had left him in so long ago. Walking up the winding path that lead to the field, he planned on playing for a little bit longer until the sun went down enough for him to feel like going to sleep. If he wasn't tired, than there was always stargazing.

He reached the field again and did just that, sitting indian style on the rock, he settled with his guitar and began playing a rhythm his mother had played for him when he was a child to help him go to sleep.

An hour passed uneventfully, until the sun finally began to set, giving way to the moon and the glittering stars. He had to admit, at least his mother had chosen a place with a wonderful view.

Jericho was just about to retire to the cave in which he'd made his home when an echoing sound reached his ears.

If he wasn't very much mistaken, someone was playing the trumpet.

 _Maybe I've finally gone crazy from being alone for so long._

Jericho thought worriedly as he set his guitar down and walked to the edge of the field, where he could down directly onto the second 'level' of his mountaintop home, where the pond and large trees he often climbed were.

A boy a little older than him, not by much though, Jericho suspected, was standing by the pond, and a portal circle in the air behind him was just closing. He was hooded and wearing a mask, and held a silver horn in his grasp.

He seemed a little tired, but not exhausted, as he looked around.

Jericho dropped to lay flat on his stomach, so the stranger wouldn't be able to see him.

"Well, there's no way anyones way up here, I could probably rest for the night." The dark skinned teenager said aloud to himself as he walked around the pond, exploring the field it was on.

Jericho slid back a bit, curious and even slightly scared. All of his time up here and no one had found him, yet some strange boy in a mask, hood, and cape was suddenly intruding on the place he'd claimed as his own six long years ago. Not that he minded, after all, hadn't he just been thinking about making a friend?

Not sure what else to do, certainly not wanting to run down there and confront the horn wielding stranger, he went back to his rock, picked up his guitar, and began to play the same song again, deciding on pretending he hadn't even seen the portal opening horn player in the first place.

* * *

Herald rubbed his eyes through his mask, he'd just finished one heck of a battle with some strange creatures in his own dimension, and had decided he wanted to spend a night on earth.

This deserted peak seemed the ideal location. But just as he was about to collapse into the grasses and drift into dreamland under the stars, his ears pricked up to the sound of music.

And it most certainly wasn't coming from his horn.

 _A guitar, all the way up here?_

He turned interestedly and saw a small, slightly worn path leading upwards. Looking around, he realized the grasses were pounded down slightly, as if someone had walked these pathways before. Glancing up, he realized that there was another plato about forty feet above him. Taking the path, Herald made his way upwards, the path bending around slightly.

He was met with a sight that caused him to jump in surprise.

Eye twitching slightly, he stood there, staring in shock at the blonde boy donning purple and white seated on a rock in the field under the stars, the moon was glowing so brightly that he had no difficultly seeing.

He was sitting there playing a guitar, looking so comfortable you'd think he'd been up there for years.

Little did Herald know...

"U-Um...hello?"

Naturally, Jericho had heard the blue garbed boy making his way upwards, but still elected to act surprised, and thus jumped slightly at the voice.

He would have either way, it was the first time he'd heard a voice in six long years.

Herald watched as the blonde turned around and looked, amazed, at Herald.  
"Uh, is this your place?"

The kid did not hesitate to nod.

Herald realized he was probably trespassing at the moment.

"I mean, I didn't mean to intrude, I can leave, I'll just leave..." Herald reached for his horn with full intention on leaving when the blonde jumped up and shook his head several times, clearly he was fine with Herald staying.

The caped portal creator slowly released his horn and stood awkwardly at the other end of the field until the one who lived here beckoned for him to come closer. Slowly, the older excepted and walked over, Jericho leaned back on the rock, which was more than wide to seat the two of them, and thus Herald leaned on it as well.

"Um..so...who are you?"

Jericho glanced uncomfortably to the side, frowning.

Herald looked on, slightly concerned.

"Are you ok?"

Jericho simply turned to him, pointed at his mouth, and mimed speaking without anything coming out.

"Oh...your...mute?"

Jericho nodded sadly.

"Sorry..." Now Herald felt beyond uncomfortable, lucky for him, he did know something that could help.

"Do you know sign language?" He tried, hoping that somehow the boy from the mountaintop did.

Jericho looked surprised and nodded.  
"Cool, I can understand it, so you could that if you want."

Jericho looked joyous about this and excitedly signed.

 ** _I may be a little rusty._**

Herald managed to understand what was being said.

"That's cool, I haven't read it in a while, so we're on the same page."

Jericho's joy seemed to grow when Herald understood and responded.

 ** _What's your name?_**

His nimble fingers asked.

"Herald, how about you?"

Jericho spelled out his name.

"J-e-r-i-c-h-o. Jericho?"

The blonde nodded, smiling.  
"That's a cool name, man." Herald said.

 ** _Why are you dressed like that? Are you some sort of performer?_**

Herald laughed at the idea.  
"Nah." He waved his hand dismissively.

"I'm what some people might call a superhero, though I just try and do what I can with old Gabriel's horn here."

Herald patted the horn at his side.

"So why are you all the way up here?" Herald asked, harmlessly curious.

Jericho looked away as he signed his answer.

 ** _I live here._**

"All the way up here. Dang...so who's with you? I mean, what are you, thirteen?"

Jericho nodded to affirm the guess at his age and answered the other question.

 ** _I am alone._**

"Alone? Up here!? Wow, I guess you have to make a lot of trips to the local village, than."

Jericho looked up in surprise.

 ** _There's a village?_**

Herald's brow furrowed with worry.

"Uh, yeah, its the only one for miles."

Jericho looked to the side, as if trying to distract himself.

 ** _I wouldn't know, you are the first person I have seen since I came here._**

"Really? Wow, how long have you been up here?"

 ** _Six years._**

"WHAT!? You've been alone up here for six years? Straight!?"

Jericho nodded, than smiled, shrugging and signing.

 ** _It's not so bad, it is very beautiful up here._**

"Yeah, it is but, that means you came up here at, like, seven years old. You had to have had someone!"

Jericho shook his head, smiling sadly as he slid down the rock and sat with his knees bent up a little, leaning his back against the stone.

Herald dropped down to join him, still trying to piece together the life of this friendly stranger in his mind.

"Wait, why would you come here at seven years old in the first place?"

Herald asked, intensely curious.

Jericho glanced over to him with a dull look on his face and shrugged in response.

Herald quickly realized he was the first person this boy had seen in so long, and was bombarding him with questions.

"Sorry, just, it's amazing you survived up here on your own."  
Jericho's smile had returned and he signed.

 ** _Thank you._**

"So, what do you do all day?

 ** _I climb the trees or the rocks, my..._**

He faltered for a moment before continuing.

 ** _Father, had a job that involved him knowing how to fight, so I try to copy the training routines he would do. I like to play the guitar._**

"You play? Awesome, my horn is good for more than opening rifts in space, you know!" Herald had taken out his horn and spun it on his finger, let out a few artful notes.

Jericho reached behind the rock and picked up his guitar from where he'd laid it on the ground, strumming in time with the horn.

Soon enough the two of them were jamming out all the different melodies you could think of, the smile on Jericho's face was a mile wide as he synchronized his beat to the sound of Herald's horn.

The two seemed to play for hours, perhaps they did, with the stars and the moon spinning toward morning above them.

Finally, Herald felt the small vibration of his horn, warning him of trouble in his own dimension.

Regretfully, he ended the jam.

Jericho looked over at him thoughtfully as he stopped playing his guitar.

"Sorry, man, I gotta get back to my own dimension." Herald explained as he stood and stretched his legs.

Jericho did the same, not able to hide the small amount of sadness he felt at his new friend leaving so, comparative to the years he'd been up here, soon.

Herald picked up on this and held out his hand.

"We make some sweet tunes, you mind if I pop in another time?"

Jericho's smile returned as he nodded his agreement to this idea, shaking the offered hand.

"Cool, I'll see you then, Jericho."

The Herald blew the correct note on his horn, opening the portal to his home.

"Later." He waved to the blonde, who waved back, as he stepped through the portal and vanished, the hole in space closing up behind him.

Jericho stood there for a moment, staring at the place where the blue garbed boy had been standing mere seconds beforehand.

He was alone again, but somehow, he no longer felt so lonely.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Jericho had last seen Herald, and the green eyed boy wouldn't lie that every night he stayed up a few minutes longer to see if the trumpeter would stop by again. It was a nice feeling, for the first time since he was seven years old, Jericho had something to look forward to, not just the endless amount of time he had always had on his hands before now. It had been a little over three months since Herald had first shown up. Ever since then he came about once a week, and at the very least once every two weeks. Sometimes he would even show up every day for a week if there was no trouble going on in his dimension.

It was currently a beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly, the clouds were floating along both above and below him on his towering peak. Sometimes when he looked down from here, when he climbed to the very precipice of this place he called home and looked down, he felt as though he were on top of the world.

Currently he had decided to go for a climb, and was scaling the forty feet of rock that separated the pond from the highest point of his home.

Jericho was about five feet from the top when he heard it, the sound of a horn, clear as crystal, in the field above him.

"Jericho?" Came Herald's voice.

Increasing his speed, the blonde completed his climb and poked his head over the edge.

"Oh, hey."

Jericho rolled over the edge of the wall.

Herald walked over and looked down on him, lying spread eagle on the ground.

"Sup?"

Jericho shrugged in order to say 'nothing much'.

"Say, mind if I rant to you for a second?"

Jericho shook his head, signing.

 ** _You might not have guessed it, but I'm a pretty good listener._**

Herald laughed dryly.

"True."

Herald than began pacing, tossing his arms into the air occasionally, and Jericho sat up to sit cross legged on the ground, watching in amusement.

"This new crime fighters group just asked me to join up with them! I said maybe and took off through a portal before they could stop me. Call themselves the Teen Titans. Now, not that I think this whole network of crime fighters is a bad idea, I almost took them up on the offer to join, but then I realized how many people they have on their back! A freaking mercenary attacked us! Some dude named Slade."

Jericho felt his chest seize up.

"So, you know, I want to help out, so I help them to defeat the robots he sent after us, we win, yippee! But nope, wait, hold up, he planted an explosive on me! Look!"

Herald spun around and Jericho stared at the back of his cape, which was still smoldering.

"This is the only costume I have! Now I'm gonna have to repair it one way or another! That nut nearly killed me, I knocked the explosive loose when I noticed it and it just clipped my cape when it blew but...are you ok?"

Jericho sank down next to the rock in the center of the field, his breaths were catching unevenly in his chest.

"Jericho? Jericho, what's wrong?" Herald asked worriedly as he dropped to his knees next to his friend. Jericho huffed several times, clutching at his chest.

Herald hurried over to him and dropped down next to him, patting him in the shoulder.

"Do you have a problem breathing? Can I do anything?"

Jericho struggled to sign with shaking hands.

 ** _Slade...I came up here...to hide from him..._**

Herald's eyes flew wide open.

"You...you know Slade?"

Jericho nodded, his breathing calming slightly, resting one palm against his own forehand.

Herald sat down next to him, looking on in worry.

"Do you want me to go?"

Jericho's emerald eyes flew open wide at the suggestion and he snapped his head to the side, frantically shaking his head no.

Leaving was the last thing he wanted Herald to do.

Herald settled down on the grass next to him.

"I'll come by more often, if it makes you feel better?"

Jericho hesitated to agree.

"I have a horn that can take me anywhere in the world in less then a minute. Jump into my dimension, walk a few steps, jump out here. It's easy."

That was when Jericho caved into agreeing.

But if Herald was going to take time out of his own life to come by specifically to see Jericho, then the blonde felt guilty not letting him know why.

 ** _Slade._**

Jericho signed strongly, with a clear hate that he couldn't express through venom in his voice.

Herald put a hand up.

"You don't need to tell me about it."

 ** _Maybe not. But I want you to know why I'm up here. It's not fair to ask you to come by so often without telling you why I won't come down._**

Herald lowered his hand slowly.

"Then I'm listening...well...watching."

Jericho smiled softly at the jibe.

 ** _My mother brought me up here to keep me away from him. She left me here and then went off. She said she'd return within the year. But then my sister went insane and my mother chased her across the world trying to help her. I know that from the last message she ever sent me. Both of them are likely dead. My grandfather was one of Slade's advisors, but he turned on him in order to help my mother. He's probably dead too, I'm not sure._**

Herald looked amazed.

"Your mom sounds like one brave woman."

Jericho smirked.

 ** _She was incredible. Did you ever see Slade?_**

Herald nodded.

"Yeah, he appeared for like three seconds to threaten the Titans before he disappeared.

 ** _He only has one eye right?_**

Herald frowned.

"Not sure, I mean, his mask covered one of his eyes."

Jericho gave an amused huff.

 ** _I KNOW he only has one eye. I was seven when I saw my mother shoot it out of his head._**

"Holy crap!" Herald cried out.  
"Thats insane! Your mom shot Slade's eye out?"

Jericho nodded.

 ** _He was trying to take custody of me from her._**

Jericho realized a bit to late that he should have probably phrased that differently. Kidnapping would have been a better choice.

Herald furrowed his eyebrows from under his mask.

"But how? She was your mother, right? She wasn't insane or anything was she?"

To this question, Jericho shrugged.

Herald gave him a concerned look.

"Ok...probably not insane, then?"

Another shrug.

"Great." Herald grumbled sarcastically.

"But the only way Slade could have fought for your custody as a child while your mother was still fit to keep you was if he was your relative. I mean, thats how it works in America...oh wait, you aren't from America?"

 ** _No. I am American._**

Jericho confirmed.

That made it even more confusing as to why he was on top of a mountain in Tibet.

"But...but Slade couldn't have fought for your custody then. Unless he was..."

Jericho looked over to Herald wearily.

 ** _My Father?_**

Herald's eyes bugged out from behind his mask.

"Yeah...but he's not, right?"

Jericho didn't respond for a moment, then he finally lifted his hands again.

 ** _He used to be. I don't view him as such anymore._**

Herald then recalled what Jericho had told him on their first encounter.

"Your Father had a job where he fought. As in, he was a mercenary!?"

Jericho nodded miserably before signing again.

 ** _I mean, I didn't know he was a mercenary growing up. This might surprise you, but he was a really good Dad. Like, when he travelled for work he brought me and my siblings back foreign candy and souvenirs. He called almost every night he was gone to say good night to us. Snuck out with us to get ice cream under my mothers nose before dinner. He was...was a great Dad. Until one night, when I was kidnapped. When my neck got slit before he could save me. When I went mute. When my sister was driven mad. When my brother was murdered. Then he cracked. Something cracked._**

Now that he was going, Jericho didn't think he could stop, he'd not told anyone about this, not once. It wasn't as though signing this out to thin air would have been helpful.

But the look of shocked incredulity on Herald's face made Jericho want to keep going, at least until his new friend understood.

 ** _I lost my voice. My mother kept me close, even though her, my insane sister, and my...and Slade all lived in the same household._**

Herald didn't seem to know how to comment each time Jericho paused to give him room to, so Jericho kept pressing forward.

 ** _As if that wasn't enough, then I developed superpowers._**

"WHAT!?" Herald shouted.

Jericho blinked with realization that Herald didn't know that, and had to admit, the look of absolute disbelieve on that masked face was pretty funny.

Jericho turned his eyes black as a way to prove it.

Herald groaned and leaned back against the rock.

"Next thing you'll tell me you were abducted by aliens and told you were one of their kind."

Jericho laughed silently.

 ** _No. I'm not an alien. At least, I don't think so._**

"Don't you dare even say 'don't think so'."

Jericho nodded in agreement before he continued in an attempt to conclude his story.

 ** _My sister ran away from home just after I turned seven, and then my mother tried to take me away. Because Slade wanted to start training me to become his new partner in crime. He wanted to take advantage of my abilities._**

"Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Herald stopped Jericho before he could sign his next sentence.

"So you have powers. What powers? What can your black eyes do?"

Jericho sighed silently.

 ** _If I did it on you, you'd pass out for the next day or so._**

Herald threw his hands up.

"I didn't say I wanted you to do it on me!"

Jericho smiled softly and didn't bother continuing.

 ** _After that Slade wanted me to go with him and be turned into a weapon. My mother stood in his way._**

Jericho's eyes softened.

 ** _I remember when she and my father were in love. All three of us were their children, they were married and had a family. Then all of this happened and it destroyed us. After Grant, my brother, died, Slade blamed me for it. At least, he claimed he did. My mother calmed me down by telling me Slade thought it was his fault and couldn't handle the blame of his first born being dead because of him. I don't know if it was true or not. In the end, she needed to get me away from him. So she punched him and they got into his big fight in our living room._**

Jericho wiped at his eyes, he was tearing up at these long ago memories.

 ** _She pushed him away from me and pulled out her pistol. She had it in her overcoat like always. She was a secret agent and detective, by the way._**

"By the way!? How is something like that by the way!?" Herald exclaimed.

Jericho ignored him.

 ** _She shot his eye out, picked me up and ran outside. Then we stole Slade's sports car and drove off to the airport. She used her identity to get us on a plane. She brought me here. And she carried me on her back up this mountain. She sat me down on this rock, and gave me this guitar. She taught me, my brother and my sister how to play on it. She made me promise to stay here until she came back. I did. And here I am._**

Now that he was done, Jericho hugged his knees and waited for Herald to process all of this.

Once Herald seemed done processing, he tilted his head to the side.

"But, if you're so sure your Mom is dead, you can't possibly keep that promise. You'd be up here for the rest of your life."

Jericho shrugged.

 ** _It's dangerous for me to go back down._**

Herald sighed.

"I know how you feel, but you can't waste your life up here. Not the mention if you have abilities, you'd be a help to the fight against evil!"

Jericho's eyes remained focused on the ground.

Herald planted his hands on the ground.

"Come on!"

Jericho scowled, firmly locking his arms to his sides.

He wasn't going to be involved in this conversation.

He wasn't going anywhere close to where Slade could get to him.

Herald sighed.

"That's one insane life story you have going. And you're only thirteen."

Jericho smiled, glad they were off topic.

 ** _Fourteen._**

Herald looked surprised.

"Really? Since when?"

 ** _Last week._**

"Why didn't tell me!? Happy birthday!"

Jericho nodded his appreciation.

"And for your late birthday gift, a round trip via alternate dimension to mingle with other human beings!"

Jericho jumped up and dodged away from Herald's hand moving to grab him.

He put up his forearms in a X to show he was not approving this idea.

Herald chased after him.

Jericho snatched up his guitar and ran off down the path, Herald giving chase.

"I'm not giving up until you have a day out!"

Jericho would have shouted something sarcastic back, but he didn't really want to stop in order to sign anything.

Herald had cornered him at the edge of cliff the pond was set on.

"C'mon, man! It's not like we're going to go fight evil or anything. Well, maybe a few petty thieves, but probably no super villains."

Jericho shook his head firmly.

"Yes."

Head shake.

"Yes!"

Head shake.

"Yes!"

Head shake.

Herald suddenly charged at him and tackled him off the edge of the cliff.

Jericho would have started screaming if he could, and Herald laughed before he blew on his horn and open a portal, which they fell straight into.

Jericho was aware of flashes of grey, red, and black dancing around everywhere before he landed unsteadily on his feet on something hard.

Concrete.

Concrete?

Jericho's eyes flew wide open at the cityscape in front of him.

City.

 _Crap_.

He spun around and bonked Herald on the head with his guitar.

"Ow!" Herald cried out, rubbing at the spot.

"Ok, I deserved that. But now you have to have fun or I won't take you back!"

Jericho raised an eyebrow.

Herald crossed his arms, "You heard me. This city is used to costumed heroes flouncing around, the Titans live here. Everyone will assume we're just some Honorary's visiting them. They won't look twice at you."

Jericho slapped himself in the face before he slung his guitar over his shoulder to free up his hands and signed.

 ** _Where are we going?  
_**

Herald gave a victorious shout before dragging Jericho to the edge of the roof and jumping off, both of them dropped easily into the alley below.

Jericho spent the next few hours being caught up on society, eating pizza, and just walking around a lot.

He had to admit, it wasn't that bad. It was actually pretty nice to be surrounded by people.

That was went a loud explosion erupted from up the street.

"What was that?" Herald demanded as he spun to start.

Jericho whirled around as well, and stared when a very fat, bouncy looking guy with bright red hair in a ponytail came running around the corner with what looked like a rip off light saber.

"I am Control Freak, and this city will soon belong to me!"

Herald took out his horn to fight him and Jericho put up a hand, then signed.

 ** _Let me._**

Herald looked worried but put his horn down.

"You sure?"

Jericho nodded, then walked up to Control Freak calmly.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

Control Freak eyed the guitar and snorted.

"Music Boy?"

The obnoxious villain demanded.

Jericho narrowed his eyes, which went black.

He felt his own body fade away as he drifted into Control Freak.

"Jericho!"

Herald ran forward.

Control Freak had functioning vocal cords, so Jericho replied.

 _"I am_ Jericho. Super powers, remember?"

Herald's eyes widened.

"You..."

"Body hopper." Jericho said with Control Freaks voice.

Herald looked confused still.

"And you can now talk?"

Jericho rolled his *read: Control Freak's* eyes.

"This guy has functioning vocal cords. I don't. Mine were slit by a knife. Tragic backstory, remember?"

Herald nodded.

"Oh yeah. Weird."

"Tell me about it. I haven't talked in six years. It feels funny. Like a bee flew down my throat and is buzzing around."

Jericho jumped back out of Control Freak, who collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Herald stared down at the heap of overcoat wearing super villain.

"Huh. So...had fun?"

Jericho sighed silently, then gave a begrudging nod.

Herald fist pumped.

"Mission accomplished!"

After dropping Control Freak off at the nearest police station, Herald opened another portal to return Jericho home.

As they stepped out onto the same mountain plato Jericho had lived on for the last six years, Herald smiled at him, offering a wave.

"We'll do that again. You'd be a real help to the cause. Not to mention you're pretty good company."

Jericho gave a huff of amusement, giving a nonchalant wave as Herald vanished back into his portal.

The blonde wandered over to the edge of the plato again.

Despite having once thought this place was to small, it suddenly felt crushing.

He sat down with his legs dangling over the edge and stared out over the clouds drifting by both above and below him.

Perhaps rejoining the world wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

 _ **Please favorite, follow, and review! Thanks so much for reading and let me know if you think I should do anything else involving the titans!**_


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